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Frank Mir, left, and Roy Nelson face off during the UFC 130 weigh-in Friday, May 27, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Friday, May 27, 2011 | 6:40 p.m.
Mir vs. Nelson
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As the two most accomplished heavyweight mixed martial artists in Las Vegas, Frank Mir and Roy Nelson have always gotten along. But they'll set their friendship aside this weekend when they meet in the co-main event of UFC 130 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Frank Mir UFC 130 final presser
Roy Nelson UFC 130 final presser
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Asked what edges Roy Nelson held over him in his final press conference before fighting in Saturday’s UFC 130 co-main event, Frank Mir paused and thought for a while before giving up.
He couldn’t think of one area where he felt Nelson was better. Mir can't even say Nelson has a size advantage after Friday afternoon's weigh-in at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Mir and Nelson, who are both Las Vegas natives, each weighed in at 260 pounds. The heavyweight limit is 265 pounds.
It was somewhat surprising that they came in at an equal weight. Nelson had recently fought heavier than Mir. In his last fight at UFC 117 against Junior dos Santos, Nelson weighed in at 263 pounds. Mir was only 252 pounds in his UFC 119 bout against Mirko Cro Cop.
Nelson walked into the weigh-in and onto the stage with pink and green ribbons in his hair to support Going Green for Pink, an initiative that asks people to recycle electronics to help prevent breast cancer.
It was one of the most notable moments during an uneventful weigh-in. All 20 fighters on the card, which starts at 3 p.m. Saturday with the pay-per-view beginning at 6 p.m., made weight and kept drama to a minimum.
Rampage Jackson and Matt Hamill, who fight in the main event, each came in at 205 pounds. For their stare-down photo, they pressed their foreheads together but shook hands afterward.
“I’m ready to go,” Jackson said. “I’m ready to put on a good show for you guys and get a knockout.”
Jackson was in a jovial mood as usual. Jackson pretended to start removing his underwear, which was his only piece of clothing left after stripping down in preparation for taking the scale, before pointing at the crowd and laughing.
His reputation as a fan favorite and one of the best fighters in the world is still intact. That’s why Hamill, who is hoping to break into the elite light heavyweight ranks, wanted to fight him.
“It’s a big opportunity for me,” Hamill said. “It’s huge for my career. I’ve got to thank Rampage. I knew from day one, he didn’t want to fight me. I just had to hope he would because it’s going to be a good fight.”
A handful of fans surprisingly booed Mir, who was the only competitor to receive that reaction. The most intense faceoff pose came between welterweights Thiago Alves (170) and Rick Story (170), who fight in the second contest on the pay-per-view. They did not shake hands or embrace afterward.
Below are the full results from the UFC 130 weigh-ins.
Light Heavyweight Bout: Rampage Jackson (205) s. Matt Hamill (205)
Heavyweight Bout: Frank Mir (260) vs. Roy Nelson (260)
Heavyweight Bout: Stefan Struve (255) vs. Travis Browne (247)
Welterweight Bout: Thiago Alves (170) vs. Rick Story (170)
Middleweight Bout: Brian Stann (186) vs. Jorge Santiago (185)
Bantamweight Bout: Miguel Torres (135.5) vs. Demetrious Johnson (135.5)
Middleweight Bout: Kendall Grove (185) vs. Tim Boetsch (186)
Lightweight Bout: Gleison Tibau (155) vs. Rafaello Oliveira (155)
Bantamweight Bout: Michael McDonald (136) vs. Chris Cariaso (135)
Bantamweight Bout: Renan Barao (135) vs. Cole Esccovedo (135)
Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or case.keefer@lasvegassun.com. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.
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